


Beloved Mythos

by Lunabii



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Multi, Post-Sburb/Sgrub, Takes place centuries post game, abt how the kids deal with eternal youth and being generally indestructible, also talks abt the trolls and calliope!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7423102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunabii/pseuds/Lunabii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young child unveils stories of the Eight Gods, eternal and unchanging.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fleeting Legends

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is my first gander at a multi-chapter, properly written story in a very very long time. I'll do my best!!!!
> 
> This story explores life for our protagonist post-Sburb, centuries after the game is finished. I always wondered what sort of legends would perpetuate and how the journey we witnessed would be simplified and corrupted by time. So... here it is! (Don't worry, the fate of the trolls will be touched upon in due time.)
> 
> Please enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I'm coming back to this after months of inactivity. Sorry! I'm aware post-canon content has been released, but this is just one/my perspective on what could have been.

_Breath. He danced and the wind began blowing._

_Light. She flourished and the sun began shining._

_Time. He sang and the clock began ticking._

_Space. She howled and the planets began moving._

_Life. She whispered and the plants began growing._

_Hope. He laughed and our spirits began lifting._

_Void. She thought and the abyss began flowering._

_Heart. He built and our minds began thinking._

_In the name of the Eight.  
_

_May they protect you as one of their own._

 


	2. > Enter

A young child stands amongst a crowd of other students. Today is a field trip day, one that they have been looking forward to for weeks. 

> Name child.

You cannot name this child for they already have one! Besides, their name is not imperative to this story. Let's carry on.

> Assume their perspective and Inspect surroundings.

You take a moment to glance around. It's a clear, sunny day at the height of the spring season. In front of you is a long, massive stone staircase. Other students are milling around, some with little orange horns beginning to peek out of their heads. All of you are wearing matching shirts, the crowd forming a sea of overly-baggy blue cotton tees and giggling youngsters.

The teacher, one lady with a thick black shell instead of skin, leads you up the staircase. You and the others follow, each with a sense of apprehension growing inside. This is holy grounds and you’ve all heard the stories. There's not a soul who hasn't.

At the top of the staircase is a long, cobblestone path lined with trees and statues. The trees are long overgrown, their branches hang high above and flower petals littering the ground. Sunlight filters through the canopy and speckles the walkway with a warm light, giving the whole scene an almost otherwordly aura. You feel like you are edging close to the border of something extraordinary.

The teacher calls for everyone’s attention and immediately there is silence. She begins to tell a story, one that you and everyone on this planet knows as well as the sound of one's own heartbeat. An epic of creation, tragedy, and triumph. The story of how everything came to be.

> Listen.

Once upon a time, there were four children, just like you all. Four children chosen by destiny, although they did not know it yet.

A simple game sparked the beginning of their transition. They were ousted from their old world and at the price of oblivion, entered a new one. One with the potential for something more, a significance that would be lost to them at first. After all, they were merely children, thrown into a new place with new powers and no inkling how to control them. Their only guidance came from four guardian angels and twelve faraway voices. 

Fledglings as they were, the children soon grew. Each walked along their own path of growth that would eventually converge into one. 

A sword, a demon. A splash of blood.

A bomb, a demon. A lost love.

A moon, an explosion. A star brighter than any other seen before.

Their journey would lead them to godhood.

However, the new gods knew that this was not their destiny. It lay beyond the starless space and beyond a wall of four partitions. And so, they traveled for three years. At their destination, they met four other gods. Four children, just like them, in the beginning of their eternal lives.

The reward was hard won. Together, they defeated a mighty evil, one that threatened the very fabric of time and space, and his handmaiden, an agent of enslavement. With the evil vanquished, the Eight Gods decided to make their own world, one created in the likeness of their home.

In the beginning, the Rogue said “Let there be no Void”. She gave the abyss substance and turned its nothingness into limitless possibility.

And the Witch said “Let there be Space”. She bent that possibility to her will and created the Planets, the Stars, and the Moon for us to live..

And the Knight said “Let there be Time”. He fashioned a clock from the shining stardust and its cogs began to turn for all of eternity.

And the Seer said “Let there be Light”. She formed the Sun from a piece of her heart and its rays were there to warm even the darkest of days.

And the Heir said “Let there be Breath”. He breathed out and a mighty gust blew over the Earth, blessing it with air so that life may thrive.

And the Maid said “Let there be Life”. She sent forth colorful, radiant birds carrying water and brought rain upon the barren lands. Plants, animals, and the Three Races rose from the dirt.

And the Prince said “Let there be Heart”. He took a piece of his soul and bestowed it upon the Three Races, allowing them to live for themselves.

And the Page said “Let there be Hope”. He taught the Three Races to laugh, love, and feel like no other being could.

They saw all that they had made, and it was very good. The Eight Gods lived on their Earth for a hundred years before disappearing without a trace, leaving behind these statutes and their story.

Breath.  
Light.  
Time.  
Space.  
Life.  
Hope.  
Void.  
Heart.

May the Eight protect you.


	3. > Stop listening

Midway through her story, you zone out. It’s something you’ve heard a thousand times in a thousand slightly different ways. Blah blah gods blah blah new life blah blah here you are. Riveting stuff a few years ago, but now stands as merely a well-aged but overly-familiar fairy tale.

> Observe statues.

The two nearest statues are of the Heir and the Witch, each standing parallel on either side of the cobblestone path. Centuries of weathering has left their faces rather featureless yet their smiles remain. Something about that makes the figures even more imposing.

> Approach Heir statue.

As your teacher continues her spiel, you edge away from the crowd and closer to the Heir statue. It’s carved in a way that almost makes it looks like he’s floating above the rectangular base. You reach out your hand and slide it against his leg; the stone is smooth and cool against your skin. A breeze gently rustles the trees, picking up leaves and petals in a mid-air waltz.

“Hey!” A voice calls out and you’re startled out of your daydream. Is it your teacher? No, the unfamiliar voice is too young and masculine. “Hey you, kid!” Again, you flinch and look around nervously. Your classmates are still paying rapt attention to the story. “Behind the statue dummy.

> Do as the voice says.

You peek behind the Heir statue. A teenage boy with messy black hair is sitting there, back against the base and head turned to look at you. The first thing you notice are his unnaturally brilliant eyes, blue like the ocean depths miles away from land. He’s also sporting a bucktooth grin that you find to be positively infectious. Other than that, he seems rather unremarkable. His square glasses, white shirt, and cargo shorts are exceedingly ordinary.

“Nothing? Yeesh, talk about a tough crowd!” He lets out a melodic laugh and you can’t help but chuckle along. Something about him is welcoming, like he’s an older brother that you never knew you had or even desired. The breeze picks up ever so slightly and the leaves flutter around him, eventually settling at his feet. 

"It's alright! I swear I'm funny! This master prankster's gonna get a laugh out of you sooner or later." He stands up and brushes himself off. You're only as tall as his waist! The vast difference in height seems to amuse him as he chuckles to himself and ruffles your hair gently. There's something familiar about him for sure, but you can't exactly put that hunch into words. Maybe it's just a coincidence. 

“Kid, you lost or something? Where are your parents?” His questions snap you out of your quite-obvious staring. You shake your head and turn to point at your class… They’ve disappeared? Oh god. Maybe they went on ahead and hadn’t noticed you had strayed from the crowd. But you've only been away for a moment and-

"Uhh there's no one there you know!" You frantically beckon towards the spot they were occupying mere moments ago. There was a crowd of at least twenty rowdy kids, how could they have possibly disappeared without you noticing?

The boy seems to take your distressed expression as a plea for help. “No no, I get it. You _are_ lost! How about you hang with me for the time being? It's not like I can leave you here to fend for yourself and I'm sure we'll find your friends along the way.” Being lost, far away from home, and alone seems like a daunting prospect for a child. Plus, there's something going on here. You can feel it.

He offers you his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might insert some images later on! The narrative comes first!


	4. > Trust him.

You take it. Once again, he beams at you and your heart leaps. Trusting him just seems so easy.

“Alright. Well, let’s go find my sister first. She’ll be able to help us.”  He leads you across the cobblestone path and stops in front of the Witch statue.

> Approach Witch statue.

The Witch stands before the two of you, grinning like the Heir except her smile seems less devious and more… motherly. Floating above her head are the five Planets. According to legend, the first four belonged to the Seer, Heir, Knight and the Witch herself. The last one was a seed called Skaia, whose significance you just can’t seem to remember at the moment. Something about frogs or something?

“Jade! Come out, we’ve got company!” You hear a rustle and then suddenly, a girl’s head emerges from the bushes behind the statue, skin covered in dirt and round glasses crooked. She looks at the two of you and grins, one that is very similar to the boy next to you. In fact, they bear a very striking resemblance to each other.

“Oh John!! Sorry, I was just sniffing around for some new plants! You know how it goes.” She giggles and you notice the… dog ears? It strikes you as rather odd, but not anything to hoot about. It's not like you haven't been living around a race of horned aliens and armored chess people for all your life. “And hello there!” You wave at her and a hand pops out of the shrubbery, vigorously waving back.

"John, you'll never believe what I found! I smelt this rabbits den and I followed it but-"

“As much as I'd love to hear about your tingling doggie senses, we've got a real problem on our hands! This kid's lost and you know how big the temple is.”

“Oh noooo! You poor thing!” She fully extracts herself from the bushes and brushes off her clothing (although there are plenty of branches and leaves tangled in her long hair). She’s about his height and age and dressed in a white sundress. Maybe they’re twins, you realize.

“Don’t worry kid. John and Jade won’t rest until you are reunited with your friends! But first, I want to go home and relax for a little while!” She offers her hand. Home? You weren't aware there were living grounds inside the bounds of the temple. Plus it's not like you're dumb enough to follow two strangers without question. You shoot her a quizzical look. " Oh puh-leaze! We're not planning on kidnapping you or anything! C'mon, please trust me." She meets your gaze and her shining green eyes seem almost incapable of telling any lies. There's something about this whole encounter that feels fateful, like the Eight planned for all of this to happen for some yet unknown purpose.

Without any further question or hesitation, you take her hand and she grins from ear to ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are slowly winding up!


	5. > Walk.

> Walk.

Your trio makes way back to the cobblestone path and you walk down the center hand in hand, between the two siblings. Birds hidden away from sight chirp their wordless songs and the noise of John and Jade's banter and melodic laughter mix in the back of your mind. You're too busy wondering where your class has disappeared to.  
The Seer and the Knight. The Maid and the Page. The Rogue and the Prince. You idly pass by each pair of statues until you find yourself standing in front of the Main Temple. It looms high above the three of you, entirely made of marble and supported by long columns. Rumor has it that it was built by the Eight themselves, who were much stronger than the average human. Plus each of them had unfathomable power at their fingertips. Constructing a temple like this would seem like a piece of cake for beings of their caliber.

Eagerly, you peek into the entrance but are too quickly directed away from it. The two lead you to the side and down a woodland trail, the entrance cleverly hidden by the overgrowth. The three of you traverse through the foliage and notice the plants growing wilder and the light getting dimmer as the branches overhead tangle together all the more densely. The siblings graciously hold you upright and do their best to ensure you don't fall on your ass and embarrass yourself. After a few minutes of hiking down a steep decline and nearly tripping on a few stray roots, you reach the bottom. 

It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Before you is a small part in the sea of trees, an enclave of lush green grass, bobbing softly in the breeze. Strong but gently warm sunlight cuts a strong contrast from the surrounding shadows, as if this secret grove is where the Eight Gods descend from the heavens to whimsically grace mortals with infinite wisdom. You think your imagination is going a bit wild here.

In the center of the field is a small cottage, built entirely of brick fading red brick with a thatched roof. As you emerge from the shade and into the light, you suddenly notice that the surrounding trees are tall, taller than you’ve ever seen or thought possible. Something about this place feels ethereal, almost dream-like. 

“Cmon! We live in there.” The duo lead you to the front door and open it. It’s homely for lack of a better word but truly that's just what it is. The atmosphere is welcoming and familiar, though this is surely the first time you’ve been here. Most of the interior is made of polished wood, perhaps lovingly constructed by the occupants themselves. Windows are numerous and natural light pours in from all sides. The walls and shelves are littered with pictures and numerous colorful knickknacks, but you don't have enough time to examine them for yourself yet.

“Sit sit sit!! I’ll get you something to drink!” Jade breaks from the group and bounds to the kitchen while John leads you to the living room. More framed photographs speckle the walls. Two large bookcase filled to the brim with colorful book spines and other miscellaneous objects sits next to a large stone fireplace with a picture hanging above it. Couches of various sizes and materials are arranged in a circle around a long coffee table and John flops down into one while you're distracted.

> Examine pictures on the walls.

You step closer to the lines of framed pictures. Most contain unfamiliar faces, but you can infer that two of them are probably related to John and Jade in some way. The other four humans seem related to each other, what with their stark-white hair and similar facial features. You sometimes spot a rather well-dressed gentleman amongst the teenagers, usually with one hand toting an inhumanly large cake. Many photos also contain three reoccurring trolls: one teal-blooded girl with snappy red glasses and a rather predatory grin, one jade-blooded girl who gives off an aura maturity, and one boy with a gray symbol. In many, he looks quite angry with a scrunched-up face and is usually spotted yelling at someone off-camera. However you see a few in which he's smiling, some shy as he's got an arm wrapped around the human with rounded shades, some outright grinning like with this one in which Jade is tackling him into the dirt. One photograph in particular catches your eye. A girl with short white hair that curls at the ends has her arm around a green... skull-headed person. The two of them are smiling widely at the camera, peace signs up. You've never seen anyone like the the second person before, but you decide it's not in your place to pry.

> Examine bookcase on the right.

It's made entirely of warm, brown wood and much much taller than you are. Thankfully, there is a stepstool nearby and you pull it towards you.

> Wait wait is John okay with you snooping around like this?

You look backwards at John warily only to see him lounging in his seat and looking right back at you, as if he's just as curious about you as you are about his house.

"Go ahead!" He grins and answers like he somehow knows exactly what you're thinking. Well since he said it's okay...

> Resume snooping in the bookcase.

Yep there's no stopping you now. You look through the lowest few shelves first. Each is filled to the brim with different books, the words and colors of the thick spines weathered with time and love.

> Pull one out.

The first book you pull out is one of the thickest, with a thick, pure black binding. "Complacency of the Learned" is printed on the front, although the accompanying image is faded and no longer comprehensible. You flip to a random page and... nevermind. Each page is absolutely covered in small text and even when you take the time to squint and read a sentence or two, you don't know know whatever the hell is going on and some of the words are too complicated for you to understand. The book is promptly put back where you first found it.

> How about the one with the purple spine?

Well, let's do it! You do so and dear lord do you immediately regret your decision. This glorious monstrosity is no doubt a trashy Troll romance novel, complete with numerous quadrant vacillation and love dodecahedrons. Is that... Is that a beefy naked guy grinding his crotch against the shoulder that other guy in the center? This literature is most certainly not for children and you quickly shove it back into the bookshelf. You try to glance at John as inconspicuously as possible and are relieved to see him zoning out on the couch. You metaphorically wipe the sweat off your forehead and continue.

> That didn't work out so well so how about...

You decide to pull out a rather haggard-looking forest green tome. The initials "R.L." are gracefully inscribed on the front and your curiosity, along with something else you can't quite describe with words, compels you to open it. The book seems to be a compilation of different types of information, although the purpose of the tome itself is lost on you. Two pages in particular stand out to you since both of them are covered in.... penis doodles and scribbles? You decide it's in your best interest not to ask too many questions.

> Examine upper shelves.

There are books scatted here and there, but most of the space is occupied by various wizard statues and feline paraphernalia including multiple four-eyed cats enclosed in various shades of blue resin. Again, sometimes it's best to let sleeping coyotes lie. One golden ring sits idly but no you're not going to put it on. You did not come here to try on fancy jewelry and you certainly don't want John to think you're going to steal it.

> Open the journal labeled "Wizardy Herbert".

Great idea! You open it and read a few pages. This is a very blatant ripoff of Harry Potter, but you enjoy the small amount of what you read. Clearly, whoever has laid claim over these few shelves has a very deep interest in both cats and wizards. They seem like an interesting person and you for one would like to meet them. Maybe you will!

> Looks like you've finished inspecting this bookshelf. Examine fireplace.

Here stands your standard stone fireplace, currently empty. A few piles of ash are left in the corners.

> Examine picture hanging above the fireplace.

You look up and take a good gander at it. It's a group photo, one that looks like it was taken on a beach, just in front of the waterline. John, in blue swimtrunks with a green slime pattern, is holding a baby salamander in his arms and is laughing wildly as it blows numerous bubbles in his face. Jade is wearing a bright green bikini and a floppy sunhat which seems to be halfway carried away by the wind. She's arm and arm with the boy in rounded shades and the two of them are smirking at each other. The troll boy is jabbing an accusing finger at them, mouth frozen in mid-scream. His skin is sunburnt to all hell but there are unburnt parts on his chest that read "I'M A HUGE FUCKASS". Looks like they pranked him real good! Next to him is the teal troll, pointing and cackling hysterically at his misfortune. The blonde with the curled bob kneels in front of the chaos, eyes closed and grinning widely with one arm around the green-skull girl and the other around her lookalike. The other blonde is looking to the jade troll next to her, both of them smiling fondly at each other. John's other female relative is laughing as the other shades-toting boy princess-carries the last boy, despite his miffed facial expression. Everyone looks so happy together and you can't help but smile right back at the people in the photo.

> Enough of that. Onto the next bookcase!

You drag the stepstool over and peer into the lower shelves. From the spines, you can tell most of them are recipe books. None of them particularly strike your fancy so you decide to leave them unopened.

> How about the upper shelves?

Let's find out! You stand on your tiptoes and strain your neck to glance around. You see a clutter of objects including a small meteorite, a set of matching blue dice, and a few more books.

> Well what are you waiting for? Let's flip through some more books toot-sweet!

Alright alright! Hold your horses! To please this very eager narrator, you pick out the first one. Or at least you try to. The book is massive, heavy enough to crush a poor, unsuspecting feline underneath its massive girth! You sure do not want to drop it from this height and potentially break your feet or even the floor so you leave it alone. Besides, it's not like you can or want to read any of it anyway!

> Open this one.

You do open This One. The cover reads: "Pony Pals: Detective Pony" while "Hell. Fucking. Yes. -DS" is written in now faded orange ink. You flip to the table of contents and a few pages in, you decide this book is probably not meant for such young eyes. As much as you want to sit down and read about the misadventures of Anna and her demon pony, you don't have time for that! Maybe another time. With a forlorn sigh, you put it back where you found it.

> What's the deal with the dice? 

You reach for the dice and there are one, two, three... eight in total. They glint mysteriously in the sunlight as you cradle them in your small hands and you feel a sudden urge to roll them.

> Do it! What's the worst that can happen? 

What's better than obeying the first ridiculous thought that has the fortune of popping into your head? You step down from the stool and kneel on the floor. Here goes!

"Wait what are you..." John stands up and walks over to you but it's too late. You've let go of the dice and they hit the ground in unison. "Oh crap!" You now regret obeying the first ridiculous thought that had the fortune of popping into your head. The dice clatter around and soon, seven of them come to a complete stop. 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.... Wow, you have terrible luck!

Just as the last die comes to a stop at the number 2, they all glow a cerulean blue before a bright white light envelopes the room.

> Survey the damage.

You cannot because there is no damage! Once the light dissipates, you see that the room and everything within it are about the same as before except a bucket seems to have landed in John's hand. That's it? You can't help but feel a little let down.

"Phew! Kid, I'm glad you're having such crappy lucky because you almost got yourself and everyone in this household killed! Sort of." He laughs and you can tell he's beyond relieved. Before you cause any more trouble, he sets the bucket on one of the chairs and scoops the dice up off the ground. He gently turns them in his fingers and smiles wistfully. You point at the dice and give him a quizzical look. What's the deal with him and these magic dice?

"Oh, these? They were given to me by a... friend." You shoot him an unamused look because with that sad smile and hesitant answer, you are smart enough to realize that there's things he's not telling you. "Alright, alright you got me. Sit your butt down genius." As you expected, he easily caves and the two of you take a seat on one of the cushier couches. He closes his eyes for a moment, as if he were playing through his memories and deciding exactly where to start his story. Before long, his eyes open and he looks up at the group photo above the fireplace.

"Let me tell you about the Heir and the Thief."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Busy life, busy things. I was also trying to mentally solidify the path I wanted this story to take. Thankfully, I think I've got it down!


End file.
